ch 4 language

call system

how animals communicate through sounds and gestures that are prompted by environmental stimuli

language

a system of communication that conveys information using symbols- such as words, sounds, and gestures- organized according to certain rules

symbols have deep historical and cultural meaning

primate language

other great apes lack the physical apparatus to create human sounds and speech, but are able to communicate about a wide range of information, including past and future situations, as well as use sign language

productivity

using known words to invent new word combinations

displacement

the ability to use words to refer to objects not immediately present or events happening in the past or future

historical linguistics

the study of the development of language over time, including its changes and variations

trace connections between languages and identity their origins

language continuum

people who live near one another speaks in a way that is mutually intelligible

speech community

a group of people who come to share certain norms of language use through living and communicating together

descriptive linguistics

the study of the sounds, symbols, and gestures of a language and their combination into forms that communicate meaning.

works to describe the elements and rules of a particular language

phonemes

the smallest units of sound that can make a difference in meaning

ex) p vs b

phonology

the study of what sounds exist and how they are used in a particular language

morphemes

the smallest units of sound that carry meaning on their own

ex) cow vs horse

morphology

the study of the patterns and rules of how sounds combine to make morphemes

syntax

the specific patterns and rules for combining morphemes to construct phrases and sentences

grammar

the combined set of observations about the rules governing the formation of phonemes, morphemes, and syntax that guide language use

kinesics

the study of the relationship between body movements and communication

meanings not universal and vary between cultures

paralanguage

an extensive set of noises (such as laughs, cries, sighs, and yells) and tones of voice that convey significant information about the speaker

indicate the mood/emotions of the speaker

gesture-call system

the nonverbal elements that convey significant amounts of information such as body movements, noises, tone of voice, proxemics, and haptics

proxemics

cultural understanding about the use of space

haptics

the culturally acceptable rules of touch

linguistic relativity

the notion that all languages will develop the distinctive categories necessary for those who speak them to deal with the realities around them

Boas and language

empathized the importance of learning and preserving local languages and in praciticing linguistic relativity

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

proposed that languages establish certain mental categories, classifications, or maps of reality that in turn shape people’s ways of perceiving the world

lexicon

all the words for names, ideas, and events that make up a language’s dictionary and its registers

register

specialized vocabulary and linguistic repertoires, that develop within a particular group of people to describe their unique cultural practices.

sociolinguistics

the study of the ways culture shapes language and language shapes culture, particularly the intersection of language with cultural categories and systems of power such as age, race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and class

dialect

a nonstandard variation of a language

generally places it in a subordinate relationship to its associated language

prestige language

a particulate language variation or way of speaking that may be elevated in a culture and is generally associated with wealth, success, education, and power

SAE

Standard American English; generally midwestern accented/grammar

code switching

switching back and forth between one variation and another according to cultural context

language ideology

beliefs and conceptions about language, such as what is considered standard/nonstandard, that often serve as a strategies for rationalizing and justifying patterns of stratification and inequality

AAE

African American English; a variation of SAE that varies widely, is quite sophisticated in grammar, and has unknown origins

difference model

suggests that communication between men and women is a form of cross-cultural communication because of the different gendered activities and language they are surrounded with

dominance model

occurs when gender stratification and hierarchy are prevalent in the larger culture and when men are generally in positions of superiority; language will reflect men’s dominance and may play a key role in enabling it

language loss

the extinction of languages that have very few speakers

of the 7000 languages around the world, 8 are spoken by 40% of population and 94 by 80% of humanity

digital natives

a generation of people who have been raised in the digital age and have spent their entire lives thinking digitally

digital immigrants

generations who use the technology and platforms of the digital are but have has to learn them as if immigrating into a new culture or learning a second language

focal vocabulary

a specialized set of terms and distinctions that are particularly important to a certain group of people, often those with a particular focus of experience or activity

linguistic nationalism

control of language and society by purging outside language

pidgin

a language in which the syntax and lexicon of two or more languages is simplified and merged

creole

a pidgin language that has become a mother tongue for a society

doublespeak

euphemisms or nonsensical speech to make things appear better than they are